ForgottenDawn's audio Reviews on Newgrounds

[Solitude]

While this piece has certainly a structure and it has the potential for something bigger and more complex, I feel like this is just the skeleton of an idea that needs further elaboration. Adding more instruments and an engaging bass would at least frame the song better as "dubstep", more variations would keep the song refreshing and pleasant to hear.
//FD

[Nocturne nr.5 in C-sharp minor]

In its simplicity, there's a beauty that shines like a diamond in the desert. This piece is fantastic, it has everything it needs to provoke an emotional response from the audience, reminding me of Chopin's nocturnes so much it's almost a crime. The somber sound of a lonely piano, like clockwork behind a broken glass.

There's honestly nothing I could really nitpick about this. If anything, you could try to bring more variety to the structure and leave space for more variations. perhaps by introducing an additional theme that could intensify the drama, it would have been a welcomed element in your otherwise nicely performed composition.

//FD

newhansen responds:

Woa, nice! Thanks for taking time to review the piece. I'm trying to use more variety in my next piano pieces for sure.

[!-Duress-!]

It's an interesting piece that fused glitched dynamics with an obvious dubstep-oriented sound. I like how the outro is performed in a very unobtrusive way and overall the song structure is pretty solid. I would however point out that the lead synths sound a bit cluttered at some points, with the chords creating a slight dissonance in the progression. Modulating said synths better would give a better dynamic sound and since dubstep is also partly inspired by chiptune music, try to put some vibrato and stereo enhancing to make it sound more expressive, reminiscent of that era.

The mastering is surprisingly tight and I love the drums you used. I think an atmosphere bed would have helped closing the gap in the section before the outro and more rhythmic synths in the transitions between the dubstep parts would have helped keeping things interesting and refreshing.

Nonetheless, you've done a good job
//FD

[New Dawn]

I was quite thrilled of the dark vibes your intro had, and I must say that overall the atmosphere in this piece is pretty heavy. It's not as dissonant as to feel unpleasant, and it is enjoyable to a certain degree when it becomes a little too predictable.

I'm not a fan of the drums to be perfectly honest, which I wish they had more depth, and the mastering suffers from limiting abuse to the point it doesn't sound much interesting as it rather hinders the atmosphere's potential. Which is quite a shame because it sounds as if it's suffocating from a mix that doesn't allow those textures and synths to breathe a life of their own.

//FD

[JustnotEnough]

Sometimes we don't need elaborate pieces to enjoy beauty within simplicity. Even though you claim to be a beginner, you have the potential of becoming a skilled artist given enough time and experience.

The composition is varied and enjoyable, but it is marred by a below-average production value and a general lack of cohesion between the various sections. The quality of the samples themselves don't constitute my verdict, although I would definitely look for a better hi-hat and a less edgy bass sound.

As a final note, it is not the picture itself that makes it a questionable choice, rather the relatively upbeat track you've composed inspired by the not-as-friendly picture.
//FD

bolisa responds:

Yeah you are right, the hi-hats and the bass are not that good. And its true. I AM a beginner. But thanks for saying that i have the potential of becoming a skilled artist given enough time and experience. I'll keep producing, and hopefully i'll get better. ;)

[Darkest Hour]

It's an interesting track, reminiscent of old adventure games, especially roguelikes and strategy games. It also oddly reminded me of Burzum in his electronic days, if you've ever heard of him.

Anyways, enough with the memorabilia. My only real complaint for this track is that it sounds quite loud to me, and I wish you had given to this piece a more dynamic range and a place for your ears to rest for a little while, possibly giving enough space for more atmosphere and instruments. It is important to give a fair amount of prominence to your instruments, especially if they tell a story, but it's also best to keep your sounds at a fair level so that one does not outshine the other. The drum hits, the crow sound effect, the flute-like instrument, they're all quite overpowering in the mix.
I enjoyed the composition overall, and it's a fairly evocative piece. Keep it up,
//FD

[Final Battle]

It definitely feels like a battle-driven song, enough for an intense action-packed scene from either a motion picture or a video game. It's pretty fitting of Madness after all.

I like the guitar riffs throughout the whole piece and how the basic layering is performed. Probably the master track suffers from compression issues that can be noticed if you take a closer look at the cymbals and hats. Becomes especially noticeable during the bigger transitions, even though overall, the song is still decently mastered.

The drums however feel rather weak compared to the much more prominent guitars which drive the melody to the point you wish you'd offer a little bit more than that, like a different chord progression or a new theme. What seemed to be a slight breakdown at around 1:50 could have been a good chance to throw in some more layered guitars, possibly bursting out into a solo in the next section.

It is still a nice effort that constitutes a refreshing change of pace from what I've heard from the contest so far.
//FD

[Crime FighterZ]

It is indeed an interesting and fun piece that could work in one of those "casino" stages in the Sonic franchise. What may lack in depth, it compensates with a catchy dance groove that stretches through the whole song. I enjoyed the somewhat varied structure of the piece as well as the melodic, bouncy vibes that it gives, although I wished it would offer something slightly beyond that formula.

Perhaps a more complex progression and the introduction of more sounds would have helped keeping this song fresh enough, without giving around pattern recycling too much. Background ambiances and synths can also create some interesting undertones. In fact, giving the listener the opportunity to "switch" between different layers of focus is a sign of great attention for detail, as well as definitely enhancing the experience because by then, you'd want to play it again just to hear a detail you missed.

Overall, good job
//FD

DuttonsaysHi responds:

Hey thanks for the helpful tips man! Yeah I totally agree with the repetition issue :c The original idea was to have vocals so I structured the song as such. I wanted to have some glitchy rap style vocals (something like Hideki Naganumas work) but that backfired since I couldn't find any fitting samples or anybody to work with.

I tried restructuring it by adding new segments but they all felt disjointed and out of place but I figured that would loose me some points so I tried playing it safe, I guess that backfired xD

Still thank you for the honest review! I 'll try more variation next time.

[Watching Cars Drift By]

While I'm quite the enthusiast when it comes to textural pieces and soundscapes, I must regretfully point out that your piece doesn't offer much in terms of expression and composition. Nine minutes of a single drone and sound effects of cars passing by may sound thrilling for the first two minutes but it makes you wish for more than that.

They indeed make a good transitional, evocative ambiance if put in a more complex context with some actual melody and music. Here it's just like what the nature of drones is about: a blurred line between sound and music, that behaves as either of the two according to the listener's focus.
//FD

[Spacewalk]

It's a nice melodic track, nothing extraordinary but pleasant enough for a spacewalk, if that's ever going to happen in the future.

Terrible puns aside, I like the electronic atmosphere you gave to the piece while giving enough space for more organic instruments to join in without detracting from the experience. Maybe the lead synth is a bit too "edgy" for such a spacey track while everything else stays quite smooth and mellow throughout. The structure allows little variety, with the slight transition at 1:40 that feels quite refreshing but it doesn't save the piece from being quite repetitive overall.

It's a good effort that neither shines nor fails in its intent of providing an uplifting groovy ambiance for a mind trip to the heavens and beyond.
//FD